Special Educational Needs and Disability at Thoresby Primary School

At Thoresby Primary School we are committed to offering an inclusive curriculum to ensure the best possible outcomes for all of our pupils whatever their needs and abilities.

We seek to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities are fully included in all aspects of school life. We believe that pupils with SEN and their parents/carers should be at the heart of planning and decision making. We aim to provide opportunities for pupils with SEN and their parents/carers to play an active role in planning their provision in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice 2014.

Parent SEN Coffee Mornings

At Thoresby we hold regular sessions for parents on SEN issues. These sessions are open to all parents, not just those who have children with SEN, and cover a variety of subjects. Friendly and informal, they provide the opportunity to share, learn and ask questions. Why not come along to the next one?

Recent meetings have been about the changes to the SEN Code of Practice and Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

If you would be interested in finding out more about a particular issue relating to special educational needs or disability, please contact the school office with your suggestions.

To find out when the next meeting is happening, look out for the newsletters and check out Twitter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I am worried about my child’s progress, or if I think they might have special educational needs?

The best thing to do is to make an appointment to have a chat with your child’s class teacher. They will listen to your concerns and talk about what your child is like at school. Together you will decide what needs to happen next. This might simply be a case of monitoring the situation, or together you might decide to put some extra support in place. Sometimes it might be appropriate for you to have a chat with the SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator); the class teacher will discuss this with you.

What happens if the school has concerns about my child’s progress?

If your child’s class teacher has any concerns about progress they will arrange to meet with you to talk about what those concerns are. They will be interested in hearing your views too, and might ask you questions about what your child is like at home, what their strengths are as well as their weaknesses. They might also ask you questions about their earlier development. Together you will decide what needs to happen next. This might be a case of monitoring the situation, or together you might decide to put some extra support in place. Sometimes it might be appropriate for you to have a chat with the SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator); the class teacher will discuss this with you.

How will Thoresby decide if my child needs SEN support?

To decide whether or not a pupil has special educational needs we look at the legal definition of SEN in the SEND Code of Practice 2014. This says that:

“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child has a learning difficulty or disability if they;

Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or

Have a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools.”

Our decision is based on lots of things. Your views are very important, as are the views of your child and the class teacher. We look at progress and the work in books. We observe pupils both inside and outside the classroom. We sometimes carry out a range of tests so that we have a better understanding of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. This helps us to target support more effectively.

What type of support might my child receive and how can I help them at home?

The type of support your child receives will depend upon their individual needs and is tailored to help them to achieve positive outcomes. The type of support currently offered in school includes:

Differentiation and scaffolding – this is when the class teacher modifies work to enable pupils to do similar work to the other children in the class

Small group work – either in or out of the classroom with adult support

One to one support

Specialised programmes for pupils with particular learning difficulties such as reading, spelling or mathematical difficulties

Life skills groups

Social skills programmes

Communication programmes for pupil with interaction difficulties

Language enrichment groups for pupils who need to develop their vocabulary

Speech and language therapy programmes

Fine and gross motor skills programmes

Behaviour programmes

Many pupils with SEN have an individual support plan which provides details about the extra support they are receiving in school, and helps parents to support their child at home. The class teacher and SENCO will also be happy to help you with ideas for home.

Who might work with my child?

Most of the time your child will work with their class teacher. Whoever else works with your child, the class teacher retains responsibility for their education. Other adults who might work with your child could include:

A TA

Another teacher from the same year group

The SENCO

Specialists from outside the school such as the educational psychologist, teachers of children with physical and sensory difficulties, teachers of children with learning difficulties, speech and language therapists, the school nurse, family practitioners.

We will always let you know before someone from outside the school works with your child.

How will I know what progress my child is making?

You will be invited to attend regular progress meetings with your child’s class teacher. At the meeting you will have the chance to discuss the progress that has been made and together you can plan what the next steps are. If you have concerns about your child’s progress, however, you don’t need to wait until the next progress meeting. Simply contact the school to make an appointment to see your child’s class teacher.

How will Thoresby ensure that my child is able to cope with moving to the next stage of their education?

Some pupils can find it difficult when they make the move from one class to another at the start of a new school year. This can be a very worrying time for parents too, especially when pupils move from one key stage to the next or from primary to secondary school.

For pupils who would benefit from additional support we make special transition arrangements. These can include:

Preparation of a transition book which includes photographs of key people and places in the new classroom or setting, as well as other useful information

Short visits to the new classroom or setting

Introducing new staff to pupils in familiar surroundings

Communication Passports containing important information about the child to share with new staff